'He achieves the miraculous,' the sculptor Auguste Rodin wrote of dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. 'He embodies all the beauty of classical frescoes and statues'. Like so many since, Rodin recognised that in Nijinsky classical ballet had one of the greatest and most original artists of the twentieth century, in any genre. Immersed in the world of dance from his childhood, he found his natural home in the Imperial Theatre and the Ballets Russes, he had a powerful sponsor in Sergei Diaghilev - until a dramatic and public failure ended his career and set him on a route to madness. As a dancer, he was acclaimed as godlike for his extraordinary grace and elevation, but the opening of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring saw furious brawls between admirers of his radically unballetic choreography and horrified traditionalists. Nijinsky's story has lost none of its power to shock, fascinate and move. Adored and reviled in his lifetime, his phenomenal talent was shadowed by schizophrenia and an intense but destructive relationship with his lover, Diaghilev. 'I am alive' he wrote in his diary, 'and so I suffer'. In the first biography for forty years, Lucy Moore examines a career defined by two forces - inspired performance and an equally headline-grabbing talent for controversy, which tells us much about both genius and madness. This is the full story of one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century, comparable to the work of Rosamund Bartlett or Sjeng Scheijen.

The glitter of 1920s America was seductive, from jazz, flappers, and wild all night parties to the birth of Hollywood and a glamorous gangster-led crime scene flourishing under Prohibition. But the period was also punctuated by momentous events?the political show trials of Sacco and Vanzetti, the huge Ku Klux Klan march down Washington, D.C.'s Pennsylvania Avenue?and it produced a dizzying array of writers, musicians, and film stars, from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Bessie Smith and Charlie Chaplin.
In "Anything Goes," Lucy Moore interweaves the stories of the compelling people and events that characterized the decade to produce a gripping portrait of the Jazz Age. She reveals that the Roaring Twenties were more than just ?the years between wars.? It was an epoch of passion and change?an age, she observes, not unlike our own.

***A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick*** The story of the pioneering anthropologists and their adventures among civilisations that were first thought of as being primitive and savage. What they discovered, however, would change the way we think about ourselves. In the late nineteenth century, when non-European societies were seen as 'living fossils' offering an insight into how Western civilisation had evolved, anthropology was a thrilling new discipline which attracted the brightest minds of the academic world. But, by the middle of the twentieth century, colonialism was recognised as being inextricably linked to exploitation and outdated labels like 'savage' were inconceivable when so-called 'civilised' man had wreaked such devastation across two world wars. Focusing on twelve key European and American anthropologists working in the field, from Franz Boas on Baffin Island in the 1880s to Claude Lévi-Strauss in Brazil fifty years later, Lucy Moore explores the brief flowering of anthropology as a quasi-scientific area of study with all its insights and ambivalence. In Search of Us tells the story of the men and women whose observations of the 'other' would transform attitudes about race, gender equality, sexual liberation, parenting and tolerance in ways they had never anticipated. In an enthralling, perceptive narrative, Moore shows how these radical anthropologists were inspired by their time in the furthest-flung reaches of the known world, becoming pioneers of a new way of thinking. In the end, their legacy is less about understanding foreign cultures and more about their attempts to persuade human beings to look at one another with eyes washed free from prejudice. Their intention may have been to explain what they saw as the primitive world to the civilised one but they ended up changing the way people viewed themselves - at least for a time.

Three complete Messy Church sessions for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, together with a wealth of creative activities and crafts to extend the range of excitingly messy activities for your Messy Church. Sections include creative Christmas prayers, global action suggestions, games and competitions, Christmas food crafts and many other ideas to take you on into the New Year.

Messy Church Goes Wild is the movement within Messy Church which aims to encourage Messy Churches to meet God outdoors, love the natural world, experience a sense of awe and wonder there and be more eco-aware in all we do, both inside and out, as gathered and dispersed church, for the good of the planet. Edited by Messy Church founder Lucy Moore, this unique collection of wisdom and practical materials covers a range of topics from caring for animals and birds through living as an eco-friendly household to greening up your Messy Church activities and running an online session on Jesus in the wilderness. With chapters by Dave Bookless, Crystal Goetz, Dave Gregory, Graham Hartland, Jane Leadbetter, George Lings, Martyn Payne and Rachel Summers, and case studies from international contributors of all ages.

'Fascinating... A vivid account' - Philippa Gregory, The Times In the mid-seventeenth century, England was divided by Civil War, but inside the home domestic life continued as it always had done. Lady Ann Fanshawe's 'receipt book' was a treasured and entirely feminine response to the upheavals of war, which left few doctors to be found. And so Ann's morocco-bound book full of scraps of ink-stained paper contained everything from lifesaving remedies to recipes for hot chocolate. Using Ann's receipt book and the memoirs she wrote for her surviving son, Lucy Moore follows her through this turbulent time as she leaves home, marries, bears - and buries - children and seeks to hold her family together. Lady Fanshawe's Receipt Book brilliantly illuminates the life and times of an English woman's Civil War.

An all-in-one introduction to Messy Church. When you need to introduce your children's workers, family coordinators and church leaders to the concept of all-involving, activity-based, new-to-church worship, this is the quick-to-read resource that explains it all. Starting Your Messy Church is structured into bite-sized sections which take you through the essentials of how to construct a strategy and put your plans to start your own Messy Church ministry into action. The book includes (among many other things) checklists, milestones and questions to ask of a Messy Church that you might visit, together with an honest and down-to-earth look at the 'Things we wish we'd known' from experienced Messy Church practitioners.

When families experience bereavement and loss, it can be hard for the wider church community to know how best to support them. In this book, four experienced authors and practitioners offer intergenerational approaches for engaging with questions of death and life in a safe and supportive setting. The material guides church communities who are dealing with the death of loved ones and other situations of loss in talking together as a church family, in applying the Christian message of the resurrection in challenging situations, and in listening to each other and developing their own insights. The opening chapters offer an easy-to-read overview of issues of death and dying, and why this is such an important topic for churches. Part 2 consists of a series of five short theological reflections, exploring traditional images and the language that Christians have always used when talking about death. The five Messy Church sessions in Part 3 continue these themes, each offering material for a two-hour all-age Messy Church service followed by a meal together.

Noooooo! The prospect of all-age worship can produce a cry of anguish from many people. It's time to admit that worship with all ages present is easy to do appallingly and difficult to do well. But it's also time to admit that a church which unthinkingly packs off any group, old or young, to worship and learn in another space every week could well be completely daft... This book is for those who sense that worshipping God together is probably a good thing, but are nervous of trying to lead their church towards that vision. It acknowledges that we don't live in a perfect world - or church - and that no one has all the answers. It also argues that you are the expert for the ways in which your church can best worship God, and helps you start to find those ways and adapt them for your local setting.

Twelve sessions for Messy Churches to do outdoors, created by a Messy Church Goes Wild writer team, enhanced by additions from scientists, and piloted in urban and rural Messy Churches. Session titles: Wild and wilderness!, Wet and wild!, Wild and rocky!, Wild and weedy!, Wild woods!, Wild weather!, Wild on the wing!, Wild and wiggly!, Wild safari!, Wild me!, Wild on the move!, Wild life! Unit writers: Aaron Jenkyn, Helen Laird, Dawn Savidge, Rachel Gotobed, Becky May, Lydia Harrison, Jane Leadbetter, Lucy Moore Scientists: Dave Gregory, John Sibley, Karen Fisher, Martin Hodson, Mike Morecroft, Graham Hartland, Andy Gosler, Mavis Crispin/Tom Hartman, David Clough, Richard Clarkson, Margot Hodson

Described as being 'deeply serious about discipleship', Messy Church has much to share, as well as much still to learn. As the fastest-growing fresh expression of church in the UK, Messy Church has learnt a thing or two about discipleship since its beginnings in 2004. This collection of perspectives, edited by Messy Church founder Lucy Moore, brings academic analysis and practitioner wisdom to bear on a key question for today's church, capturing the latest thinking and learning from the Messy Church context. Individual chapters examine each of the core Messy Church values and how these work in practice to promote discipleship.

Holy Habits meets Messy Church! The Holy Habits approach explores Luke's model of church found in Acts 2:42-47, identifies ten habits and encourages the development of a way of life formed by them. This session material has been created to help churches explore the Holy Habits in a Messy Church context and live them out in whole-life, missional discipleship. messychurch.org.uk holyhabits.org.uk

Equipping your Messy team to pray and encourage others to do so, both within and outside the Messy Church context - Communicating prayer as a concept - Praying as a team in advance and on the day - Prayer ideas for the activity time, celebration time, and at home as a family - Ways of praying the Lord's Prayer - Ways to reimagine other traditional prayers - Creating a prayer space - A Messy Quiet Day outline

One individual chapter of this popular book on Messy Church. Overflowing with creative ideas to draw the community together for fun, food, fellowship and worship, this resource book contains 15 themed programme outlines. Each outline has ideas for creative art and craft activities, meal plans and recipes for eating together and family-friendly worship. Messy Church grew out of one church's desire to reach out to those on the fringes of the church community and experience the love of Christ through creativity, fellowship and worship together. There is also a dedicated website at www.messychurch.org.uk which explains what Messy Church is, why it got started and who is doing it now.

In our increasingly polarised society, there are constant calls for compromise, for coming together. For many, these are empty talking points - for Lucy Moore, they are a life's work. As an environmental mediator, she has spent the past quarter century resolving conflicts that appeared utterly intractable. Here, she shares the most compelling stories of her career, offering insight and inspiration to anyone caught in a seemingly hopeless dispute. Moore has worked on wide-ranging issues - from radioactive waste storage to loss of traditional grazing lands. More importantly, she has worked with diverse groups and individuals: farmers, environmental activists, government agencies, corporations, tribal groups, and many more. After decades spent at the negotiating table, she has learned that a case does not turn on facts, legal merit, or moral superiority. It turns on people. Through ten memorable stories, she shows how issues of culture, personality, history, and power effect environmental negotiations. And she illustrates that equitable solutions depend on a healthy group dynamic. Both the mediator and opposing parties must be honest, vulnerable, open, and respectful. Easier said than done, but Moore proves that subtle shifts can break the logjam and reconcile even the most fiercely warring factions. This book should be especially appealing to students in environmental studies, political science, and conflict resolution; academics and professionals in mediation and conflict resolution fields; and anyone concerned with environmental conflicts.

Holy Habits is an initiative to nurture Christian discipleship. It explores Luke's model of church found in Acts 2:42-47, identifies ten habits and encourages the development of a way of life formed by them. The habits are: Biblical Teaching, Fellowship, Breaking Bread, Sharing Resources, Serving, Eating Together, Gladness and Generosity, Worship, Prayer and Making More Disciples. These Bible reading notes have been developed to help churches and individuals explore the Holy Habits through prayerful engagement with the Bible and live them out in whole-life, missional discipleship.

IVP Readers' Choice Award We like the idea of community, but where do we start? The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community. Messy Church, the first book in the series, offers your church a tool to create a unique, come-as-you-are experience built on creativity--allowing space for all to play and create celebration--worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus hospitality--sharing a meal where all are welcome This complete resource helps you share the love of God and his people with families in your community, creating an opportunity for connection and learning in a fun and welcoming environment. With instructions for starting a program at your church, Messy Church includes fifteen sessions for use throughout the year. Let's get messy!

An affirming Easter gift for Messy Churches to give to their Messy families to use at home over Easter. This minibook aims to transfer the core values of Messy Church to the home and family context, encouraging families to talk together, be creative, be hospitable, be Christ-centred and celebratory, and including activities for all ages.

A practical exploration of the Christian principle of hospitality from the founder of Messy Church In Messy Hospitality Lucy Moore demonstrates how hospitality can be practised in Messy Church and other church contexts to promote mission and faith formation, addressing the theology of hospitality and how it can be expressed at the welcome table, the activity table, the Lord's Table, the meal table, and in the home. Also included are insights from the secular hospitality industry, how to train Messy Church teams in hospitality, audit-style questions for the reader to apply in their own context, and five complete session outlines for Messy Churches.

The Lord's Prayer Unplugged provides a unique opportunity to explore the biblical breadth and depth encapsulated in Jesus' famous prayer. The material can be used as a complete teaching programme over the course of ten weeks. Alternatively, each unit stands alone so that the phrases can be studied separately and linked into the teaching of a Bible passage springing from the phrase. An index of Bible passages is included at the end of the book. Each phrase of the prayer is explored through creative ideas, offering a wealth of thematic gems for teachers to pick and choose to suit their situation. Each unit includes: Get your bearings Extra ideas Why not decorate your space... Prayer Quiet space Songs Icebreakers Craft and art Puppets Bible exploring Ongoing wall display Includes photocopy permission.

One individual chapter of this popular book on Messy Church. Another messy outing from Lucy Moore, this book follows on from the popular Messy Church, which has sold over 4500 copies since it was first published in 2006. Alongside the usual mix of creativity, fun, Christian hospitality and thanksgiving Messy Church 2 explores the importance of discipleship, faith development and training for leadership. The material includes many ideas for practical ways to promote a sense of fellowship and community. The book contains a further fifteen units of fun, food, crafts and mess, with a year's worth of material that your Messy Church will love. There is also the guidance to enable those taking part to go deeper with God. Topics include: Key events in Jesus' life; Christian basics; Biblical stories of faith; Baptism and Holy Communion. Messy Church 2 is ideal for clergy, lay ministers and those responsible for all-age worship; it is also ideal for those involved with outreach to the wider community looking to build on the success of the Messy Church initiative. The book is written for an adult readership, but contains material designed to resource people of all ages.

The ideals of the French Revolution inflamed a longing for liberty and equality within courageous, freethinking women of the era--women who played vital roles in the momentous events that reshaped their nation and the world. In "Liberty," Lucy Moore paints a vivid portrait of six extraordinary Frenchwomen from vastly different social and economic backgrounds who helped stoke the fervor and idealism of those years, and who risked everything to make their mark on history.

Germaine de Stael was a wealthy, passionate Parisian intellectual--as consumed by love affairs as she was by politics--who helped write the 1791 Constitution. Theroigne de Mericourt was an unhappy courtesan who fell in love with revolutionary ideals. Exuberant, decadent Theresia Tallien was a ruthless manipulator instrumental in engineering Robespierre's downfall. Their stories and others provide a fascinating new perspective on one of history's most turbulent epochs.

Through the sumptuous, adventurous lives of three generations of Indian queens-from the period following the Indian Mutiny of 1857 to the present, Lucy Moore traces the cultural and political changes that transformed their world. This is the fantastic nonfiction version of The Jewel in the Crown. Until the 1920s, to be a Maharani, wife to the Maharajah, was to be tantalizingly close to the power and glamour of the Raj, but locked away in purdah. Even the educated, progressive Maharani of Baroda, Chimnabai-born into the aftermath of the 1857 Indian Mutiny-began her marriage this way, but her ravishing daughter, Indira, had other ideas. She became the Regent of Cooch Behar, one of the wealthiest regions of India while her daughter, Ayesha, was elected to Indian Parliament. The lives of these influential, immensely colorful women embodied the delicate interplay between rulers and the ruled, race and culture, subservience and independence, Eastern and Western ideas, and ancient and modern ways of life in the bejeweled exuberance of Indian aristocratic life in the final days both of the Raj and the British Empire. Tracing these larger-than-life characters as they bust every known stereotype, Lucy Moore creates a vivid picture of an emerging modern, democratic society in India and the tumultuous period of Imperialism from which it arose. "A fascinating picture of a vanished world."-Sarah Bradford, author of America's Queen and Lucrezia Borgia

Christmas can be complicated. Parties, gifts, and family tensions dominate the season. So maybe it's time we explore what Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany are really about. The Messy Church series provides resources to help your church bring together people of all ages and stages of faith, allowing them to experience a creative and fun-filled Christian community. Messy Christmas offers your church a tool to create a unique, come-as-you-are experience built on creativity--allowing space for all to play and create celebration--worshiping God and his redeeming work in Jesus hospitality--sharing a meal where all are welcome These three once-a-month sessions include Christmas prayers, global action suggestions, games and competitions, Christmas food crafts, and many other ideas to experience joy during this time of the year. This season, give your community the gift of a messy church!